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Post by Hollywood Heidi on Sept 14, 2019 21:18:44 GMT -8
Maeve continued to lay on the couch, willing sleep to come. How much time had passed? Fifteen minutes? Twenty? Still, sleep eluded her. What was she expecting, having spent most of the past several days in a sleep-like state?
With a low growl of frustration, she lifted her head and punched-fluffed the throw pillow, before resting her head back down. Not much change in the pillow but she'd managed to work out a tiny bit of frustration with those punches.
The sound of the doorbell startled her into an instant teleport to her feet and damn near had her jumping out of her skin. Who was ringing her bell at this hour? She'd heard no sound of a car approaching, no forewarning. Was it the neighbor? That would explain no sound of a car. He'd was old now, his mind fading, and she'd found him knocking on her door once before at a late hour, having gotten lost when taking a late night walk. Heart finally starting to slow from its racing, she maneuvered herself around the couch and stepped lightly to the door, not sure if she wanted whoever it was to know someone was approaching.
But he'd had a family member move in with him after that incident, she remembered. So there was a good chance it wasn't her neighbor. Definitely not Moira. She'd have called first and she couldn't have gotten here so fast. Nobody else knew she was here. But then she recalled a certain Professor who didn't respect boundaries and who had a big, round room that gave him the ability to locate people.
As she was a couple steps from the door, her heart picked up the pace again with the thought of who she hoped--and dreaded--she'd find there. Hand on door, she took a calming breath and leaned toward the peephole then immediately pulled away. God, it was him. Right there, on her doorstep. Her heart flipped and the thrill that shot through her made her dizzy. Maeve rested her forehead beside her hand against the door, warring with herself. She shouldn't make her presence known. She should teleport herself to halfway around the world.
But she couldn't. Nor could she get herself to open the door which was the only sturdy wall left between herself and Erik. So she settled for the familiarity of their usual form of meetings by sending out her simulated self in invisible mode.
Maeve's sim stood beside him and she drank in the sight of him, casually leaning against her door frame, a slight look of annoyance on those handsome features, even more so with the fresh shave and imprisonment cleaned away.
"You shouldn't be here," she said through her invisible sim, her tone stern but with a shred of vulnerability woven through it.
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Post by DarkSideCookie on Sept 21, 2019 6:58:39 GMT -8
Erik's features remained rigid while he was waiting for Maeve to finally open the door. Oh, he knew she most certainly was watching him through the peephole just now, maybe getting panicked, not sure if she shall allow this one last wall between them to fall or not. Erik didn't need to have telepathic abilities to guess that she was about to not. And so Erik kept on waiting, still a severe look upon his face, when suddenly a voice was sounding right next to him - with nobody seen around - unsurprisingly.
"You shouldn't be here,"
For a little moment, there was appearing the hint of a smirk in the corner of his lips, yet vanished as soon as he turned his face around in the direction her voice had come from.
"So shouldn't you.", Erik replied with an adamant undertone in his. And so this challenge between probably the two most stubborn persons on earth was going on. "I told you to make use of Charles help."
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Post by Hollywood Heidi on Sept 29, 2019 0:43:28 GMT -8
Bossing her around again. It irked her that there was something sexy about that assertiveness. Maeve's invisible sim narrowed her eyes as she crossed her arms but a ghost of a smile played on her own face on the other side of the door.
"And I did. You're standing here, aren't you?" she retorted stubbornly, ignoring all the other reasons he'd given for her to go to Charles that didn't involve getting him out of Trask. "Which tells me either Charles did not give you my message, or, more likely," she said dryly, "you chose to ignore it."
Falling into their familiar bantering, Maeve could feel her tension easing, the vulnerability, worry, and all the other emotions and reasoning that had been the foundation of her walls start to fade.
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Post by DarkSideCookie on Oct 4, 2019 15:08:35 GMT -8
"And I did. You're standing here, aren't you?"
Maeve knew exactly that this was not what he had meant. And, of course, Erik knew exactly that she knew that he knew that; just as they both knew that this wasn't about anything else but stalling time. So, how much longer would they have to play this game?
"Which tells me either Charles did not give you my message, or, more likely," Erik tilted his head in a way that was clearly showing off his annoyance about the fact that she was still letting him wait in front of her door while she was standing right on the other side of it. He wasn't able to hide at least a little bit of amusement at the same time though. "you chose to ignore it."
"I chose to push on with it.", Erik replied matter-of-factly. "Now open the door."
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Post by Hollywood Heidi on Oct 5, 2019 12:55:10 GMT -8
Maeve disconnected her sim and lifted her head, scowling at the door. Oh how the man pushed her buttons and sent her stubbornness soaring to new heights. Maeve fisted her hand, fighting against her overwhelming urge to open the door and unabashedly throw herself at him. But it wasn't just stubbornness that had her holding out. Doubt, stemming from the history of her past, had niggled its way in. What if she was reading more into this than there was? He'd never suggested anything other than a desire to help her learn to use her abilities to their full potential. Anything beyond that had been merely a feeling, possibly her imagination reflecting back her own feelings. She was going to make things perfectly clear, right from the start.
"I have been doing just fine on my own," she said resolutely through the door. "If you're here only because you want to help me see the full potential of my abilities or because you think you owe me, walk away," she said firmly. "If you have a better reason for being here, one that has nothing to do with abilities or repayment, well then, Magnet Man, stop bossing me around and open the damn door yourself."
Maeve took a couple steps back and waited with breath held. If he walked away, a little more of her would die inside and it would take her a good long while to recover, but the emotional wounds would heel and most likely harden to impenetrable toughness. If he didn't, this glorious build-up of anticipation would be burned into her memory for the rest of her life.
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Post by DarkSideCookie on Oct 5, 2019 14:19:13 GMT -8
And then there was silence. One could never know for sure, but Erik was quite sure that she had disconnected her Sim and no longer stood right beside him but instead, with all her senses, behind the closed door. He imagined her having one hand ready at the doorknob while the other was clenched to a fist. C'mon, Lavender Girl. Let me in., he whispered to her in mind, a lot more sensitive than before. She seriously was not the only one with doubts; with doubts about what this actually was; about if it would be wise to allow it to happen or not.
"I have been doing just fine on my own," Erik's head came to a rest on the closed door, noiselessly. "If you're here only because you want to help me see the full potential of my abilities or because you think you owe me, walk away," He took some breathes, also noiselessly. "If you have a better reason for being here, one that has nothing to do with abilities or repayment, well then, Magnet Man, stop bossing me around and open the damn door yourself."
Erik stood tight and waiting before finally backing off the door - yet with no intention to walk away. Still a rigid look upon his features, he reached one hand out into the door's direction, geared towards the locking mechanism itself. She should have known that he would be taking her invitation literally. And so he used his ability to actually open the damn door himself, while he felt his heart beating faster than probably ever before.
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Post by Hollywood Heidi on Oct 6, 2019 0:12:42 GMT -8
The seconds ticked by, feeling like an eternity. Maeve stared hard, eyes shifting from chain to latch and back again, willing them to move because if they did, it meant he felt the same. If they didn't-- the latch turned while the chain slid across the slot and popped free, completely eliminating her previous line of thought.
Maeve's heart raced while butterflies went crazy in her stomach. He'd unlocked so much more than just her door. Maeve felt a weight lift from her heart, her mind... her entire being. She couldn't bear to wait another second. She rushed forward, meeting him halfway by opening the now unlocked door and found herself frozen to the spot again. For the very first time, they faced each other. No barriers. No walls. No simulations. The real her within arm's reach of the real him. Stubbornness and sass had no room with the overwhelming flood of emotions overriding her system. And God, the lust hit her like a train. She'd never wanted anyone as badly as she wanted him right now. It was all in her eyes as they locked on his and willed him forward.
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Post by DarkSideCookie on Oct 6, 2019 3:29:52 GMT -8
It was not exactly like Erik would have been able to prepare himself or even to take another breath before accomplishing his purpose to open the door by reaching out to the doorknob, the mechanism now unlocked, as practically simultaneously someone was rushing to meet him halfway only to come to a sudden halt right in front of him. And then they both were frozen to the spot for a moment. Here they were. Without any barriers, walls or any other reason to not touch her.
And then, eventually, Erik moved forward - or was it both of them moving forward at the very same time? -, falling on her like a starved out stray dog on a basket full of bones. And thank God, it was not only him feeling this way, although, right this moment, this was less about emotions but an overwhelming wave of mere lust. Their lips consistently pressed against each other, so that it was almost a miracle how Erik had been able to, at least, shut the door behind at some point.
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Post by Hollywood Heidi on Oct 12, 2019 12:00:30 GMT -8
The slightest motion was enough to send her rushing toward him, both of them reaching and pulling the other to close the gap between them. She barely had the time to register the sensation of finally touching him as she lifted to her toes to meet the descent of his mouth on hers.
His passion rivaled her own and she felt herself melting against him in that drive to become one. Maeve's arms wrapped around his neck as they maneuvered themselves into the house without breaking contact. Both reached an arm out toward the door in a blind effort to shut it and Maeve distantly heard it close. She moved forward, pushing him back to pin him against the door and they hit a little harder than she'd intended. The surprise of it had her pulling her lips away momentarily to search his face but she saw no cause for concern. There was only a burning passion that reflected her own and the bit of harmless, unintended roughness due to her enthusiasm only made it burn hotter. With a throaty chuckle, Maeve's mouth found his again.
In her defense, it was his fault her sense of direction was shot all to hell. At least she'd had the shred of good sense to lock the door. After reaching out and turning the latch into place, Maeve fully gave herself over to this moment, to Erik. Her lips breaking contact as little as possible, she moved with him in a series of turns and side steps, steering them toward the stairs, her exploring hands only stopping to pull at articles of clothing that came into their contact, leaving a trail of discarded clothes in their wake.
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Post by DarkSideCookie on Oct 13, 2019 10:10:39 GMT -8
Rivaling was indeed the right word for this because even now they still seemed to excel with each other as this had already become something like a matter of unconscious routine between them. Unconscious because the on-going physical fireworks were of rather needs and instincts. And as much as Erik loved to dominate and was actually used to, as much was this up and down of taking over pushing him, so that he wanted her even more with each passing round. While being in this rush of adrenaline, Erik didn't even notice anything around, and so, every now and then, the noise of falling or even cracking objects in their way was accompanying both their hard breathing each time their lips parted, only to find themselves in another round shortly afterward.
A sudden grin appeared on Erik's lips when he was roughly pinned against the closed door, yet didn't last for long, for it was just a second later that his lips once again were pressed against hers. Once Maeve had somehow managed to lock the door, she led him towards the stairs, their kissing and hot struggle only stopping to inch by inch free each other from their clothes which remained the only obstacle on their way to finally become one.
Once Maeve had stopped her steps in front of another door, her back turned against, Erik used the chance to turn the tables once again and pinned her against it for his turn now. Raising one of her legs to his hip, he actually would have been ready right here right now, if Maeve's hand hadn't found the doorknob just that moment. Still kissing and pushing they stepped inside, this time not bothering the door closing shut behind or not, but instead heading straight towards the bed...
*** cut - x-rated ***
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Post by Hollywood Heidi on Nov 3, 2019 22:22:30 GMT -8
Erik was successfully broken out of Trask Industries.
Friday has come to an end.
It is now Saturday, October 25, 1975, late morning.
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Post by Hollywood Heidi on Nov 9, 2019 16:13:29 GMT -8
Maeve was curled up against Erik's side, head laying on his shoulder, a leg draped over one of his, and her arm resting against his chest, her fingers lightly moving in a swirling motion above the beating of his heart. Besides that small movement, she appeared to be sleeping but as Charles had pointed out when they'd tracked her down via Cerebro, the way her eyes moved beneath her lids was not the rapid movement of dreaming. It was more of a natural way of someone awake, moving around, interacting and doing things. Or in her case, someone able to look through the eyes of someone else as they did those things.
In truth, Maeve had been awake for awhile now and though she hadn't gotten out of bed, she'd gotten a lot done. She'd finally chained the door, tidied up the mess of Hurricane Hormones that led from the door to the bedroom, gathered and neatly folded up their clothing leaving it outside the bedroom door, set up a pot of coffee to brew, and was currently taking two mugs out of the cabinet while trying to decide what to make for breakfast. All while her real self remained exactly where she wanted to be.
Maeve's fingers continued to lightly move in a swirling motion against Erik's chest. Now that she could finally touch him, she couldn't seem to stop. The hint of the upward tilt of the corners of her mouth hinted at the contentedness within her.
She'd already gotten the simulated experience of the smell of coffee via her sim but it, as well as most simulated experiences, was nothing compared to really experiencing things. The aroma made its way upstairs and Maeve took in a deep, satisfying breath of it.
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Post by DarkSideCookie on Nov 14, 2019 12:16:53 GMT -8
Eventually, the light movements on his chest gently rouse him from slumber. He had anyway instantly forgotten what he'd been dreaming once he realized where he was. The usual hard expression on Erik's face, may it be on an early morning, afternoon or evening, was changing into a slight smile of satisfaction. Never before had anything nor anywhere felt so much like home.
With an almost unnoticeable movement, Erik's arm, the one that had been resting under Maeve's neck for the whole night, was wandering up a little so that his fingers could reach out to her hair and gently playing with it. Feelings of numbness were accompanying the movement, but he didn't care. Even if his whole body felt numb after just a second with her, he would stretch that second to an infinite lapse of time.
"Good morning, Lavender Girl.", Erik said softly, not stopping the playing with her hair, while he inwardly made conclusions from the sudden upcoming smell of fresh-brewed coffee. She must be awake for a while already. What an amazing being, in every way and sense.
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Post by Hollywood Heidi on Dec 1, 2019 16:03:24 GMT -8
The sensation of his fingers in her hair had her next breath expelling on a long, happy sigh. Now that she knew he was awake, she could fulfill her longing to curl in even closer. Maeve turned her head and placed a kiss on his shoulder before shifting closer, nestling her head on his chest below his chin just where her fingers had been drawing lazy circles.
"Good morning, Lavender Girl."
His voice softly speaking the nickname he'd given her what felt like an eternity ago along with his heartbeat below her ear and the feel of his fingers in her hair filled her with such contented warmth. She grinned, wondering if she'd ever felt so elated. "Good morning, Magnet Man," she replied, voice still husky with sleep.
She suddenly realized that even her sim now stood uselessly in the kitchen in a happy daze with eyes closed and a serene smile. Maeve chuckled and disconnected her sim. She shifted herself on top of him, hair falling in a curtain to one side as she pinned him with a playful accusatory look. "You are very distracting," she said, placing a kiss on his lips then quickly vacating the bed before she fully gave in to the distraction. Maeve was famished. After some food and coffee, she fully intended to partake of a lot more distraction.
"Coffee is ready," she said, momentarily disappearing through the door and reappearing with their neatly folded clothes, placing it on the chair. "I haven't figured out breakfast yet," she said, starting to turn toward her closet but paused and grinned. Maeve grabbed Erik's shirt from the pile and pulled it on, only bothering to fasten a couple buttons as she headed downstairs. Until she could envelop herself with him again, she'd settle for his shirt.
Before she disappeared through the door, she sent him another heated glance and upon getting another view of that manly, well maintained physique, realized that wearing his shirt gave the added bonus of leaving him without one.
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Post by DarkSideCookie on Dec 13, 2019 23:06:32 GMT -8
"Good morning, Magnet Man,"
The smile upon his face widened some more, especially at Maeve's sudden chuckle and her acclivitous concentration like now she was all there for him, in other words, with all her senses. And then, when she shifted herself on top of him, Erik's smile immediately changed into a grin of satisfaction. "This reminds me of something.", he said as he wrapped his hands around her naked thighs.
"You are very distracting,"
Erik was going to fully go into the exchange of tenderness once their lips met for a kiss, but then Maeve quickly retreated from him. He couldn't help not letting her go without at least a playful clap on her butt though. "You can always give in to it, just so that you know."
"Coffee is ready,"
With his arms folded behind his head and a satisfied smile on his lips, Erik stayed in bed while Maeve disappeared through the door, only to reappearing with two cups of coffee and their folded clothes a moment later.
"I haven't figured out breakfast yet,"
"I've got everything I need.", he replied with another grin, watching her pulling on his shirt, about to walk out the door again, though not before sending him another heated glance. "And if you continue looking at me that way, I'll eat you for breakfast.", Erik cat-called at her with a light chuckle.
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Post by Hollywood Heidi on Dec 14, 2019 20:29:52 GMT -8
Maeve's throaty chuckle echoed from the hallway. Unable to resist challenging the threat, she popped her head back through the doorframe to send him another glance. "Promises, promises," she drew out in a sexy tone with that look again that held all kinds of promises of its own before disappearing once again.
They had a thing for challenging each other. Judging by the way they'd attacked each other when they finally found themselves face to face for the first time, it got him just as worked up as it did her. Feeling as if she'd won that round of flirting, a smug smile of triumph tugged at the corners of her lips. She continued down the hallway toward the stairs with memories of last night and fantasies of what the day would bring filling her mind.
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Post by DarkSideCookie on Jan 5, 2020 9:02:33 GMT -8
Erik tried to hide most of his joy about Maeve's head popping back through the doorframe, yet he couldn't completely hide the smiling ends of his lips just as the glint in his eyes.
"Promises, promises,"
"Try me.", he replied with a rigid look that was to keep up their little challenge, Maeve already having continued her way down the hallway. "I can hear you pausing your steps." A smug grin played around his lips as he waited for her to come back. She would.
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Post by Hollywood Heidi on Jan 25, 2020 3:14:41 GMT -8
"Try me."
Maeve chuckled to herself. Oh, she would most certain try him.
With each step toward the stairs, Maeve's hunger was slowly being overridden with regret for having left the bed. And him. Hand on the rail, she stopped at the top of the stairs and looked back. Food and coffee had dominated her cravings right upon waking but suddenly seemed far less appealing. She was definitely feeling hunger but a different kind now.
But she couldn't just go crawling back. As much as she wanted to, she was too prideful. He hadn't left the bedroom to join her for breakfast. Well fine. In that case, he could have had the decency to have come after her and carried her back to bed.
Just when she was starting to feel irked at the thought that she might have to admit defeat at such an early stage when the bantering had barely gotten started, she heard him calling after.
"I can hear you pausing your steps."
She hadn't even started her crawl back in defeat but sound, or rather, lack of it, gave her away and was giving him a far too easy win. Worse, he couldn't have let it happen with quiet dignity. No. He had to smugly rub it in. The nerve. It riled her out of her sulking and right into the heat of battle. 'Oh really,' she thought with an annoyed huff as she stomped back toward the bedroom, picturing him smugly lounging in her bed, waiting for her to crawl back in with him. Well, dammit, she'd torture him with a few more of those heated glances and perhaps more. Make him meet her halfway. Or at least have to take a step or two. Hell, she might not even have the strength to hold out for that.
She was annoying herself further at her own weakness and couldn't even make herself wait until she reached the room to start letting out some of that fire. "Why must you always have the last word? It's absolutely madd--" Her irked tone was cut off with a gasp of surprise at finding herself pulled forward as soon as she'd reached the door frame. Realizing the play he'd made and how she'd so easily walked into it, Maeve laughed as she wrapped her arms around his neck. "You baited me," she said, narrowing her eyes as she made the playful accusation.
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Post by DarkSideCookie on Jan 25, 2020 14:52:36 GMT -8
Erik had been waiting in the door frame for already a while, silently making bets on how long it would need her to walk back from the stairs for he was sure she couldn't resist, as stubborn as she was. And then he finally heard steps again - getting closer.
"Why must you always have the last word? It's absolutely madd--"
A satisfied smile, a little bit complacent, that was a fact, spread across his face, and once she was close enough, he just pulled her even closer, covering her lips with a passionate kiss. A kiss that was also saying I won. At least she was taking it with humor, although he was sure it irked her more than she actually gave away.
"You baited me,"
"And you bit.", was the only and last thing he said before pulling her completely inside and starting another round of passionate challenge as if they had to make up for times in which they hadn't been able to touch or even see each other...
*** cut - x-rated ***
*** a little bit later ***
Erik was just going to put his clothes back on when he realized that Maeve yet again had made herself comfortable with his shirt on her second try to make breakfast for them. He smirked in silence. And so, dressed with only his jeans, he headed downstairs as well to join her in the kitchen or rather to throw one look inside.
"Excuse me, Ma'am, but it appears you have something that is mine.", Erik joked, yet with a serious expression while he watched her preparing some vegetable, dressed in no more than his shirt and her underwear beneath.
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Post by Hollywood Heidi on Feb 2, 2020 13:49:54 GMT -8
Maeve couldn't remember the last time she was so happy. It filled her to such distraction that the things that had plagued her with all the unpleasant emotions day in and day out were currently forgotten. She was damn near close to humming, which had never been a thing she did.
"Excuse me, Ma'am, but it appears you have something that is mine."
A smirk spread across her face. Her back to the alcove that led from the stairs to the kitchen, she turned enough to take a good, long look at him casually leaning against the wall, purposefully taking her time drinking in the parts of him that weren't currently covered by the item he was referring to. She turned back to her task. "You want it back, you'll have to take it back," she casually tossed over her shoulder.
With the realization she'd issued a challenge to the one person who'd always been just as quick as her to rise to them, she imagined that he might already be making his way toward her. Maeve quickly turned before he could have reached her from the other side of the kitchen. "After we eat," she clarified, wagging the knife in his direction as if wagging a finger.
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Post by DarkSideCookie on Feb 28, 2020 12:54:22 GMT -8
"You want it back, you'll have to take it back,"
And Maeve hadn't been wrong about him taking a challenge when it got offered to him so obviously, above all when it got offered by her. He stopped his intentional steps in her direction immediately though once she had her head turned. Not being able to pass up a challenge was one thing, but getting caught failing or rather getting thwarted was another.
"After we eat,"
Erik showed off with a grin. Giving her one last wink, he casually pushed himself away from the wall behind. She actually had a point there. Eventually, they really had to eat something, but at least they had been able to leave the bed once already.
While Maeve was snipping, chopping and putting together their breakfast, Erik slowly walked around the nearest room what appeared to be the living room. Of course, he wasn't going to snoop around her house but instead was curious to see where and how she lived. They hadn't talked a lot of private stuff so far unless it had been part of their little question and answer game back at the time in the cell. It was just then that Erik realized how long ago those times already felt when at the same time only this morning already felt like an eternity; like something that always had been and forever should be.
With a slight smile on his face, Erik continued his self-given tour around as he stopped by the piano. He couldn't help but imagine Maeve playing it, probably feeling less lonely while she did. Music definitely was to cure a lonesome soul, even if it was just for the moment. As Erik's eyes wandered to the little photo frames on top of the piano, one of them made him draw closer to have a better look. The picture in it showed a young woman, the same dark-brown, almost black hair, just like Maeve's, and with a smile that reminded him of hers as well. It really wasn't his intention to snoop around but this trove was just so intriguing.
As Erik was going to pick the frame up, another one standing right next to it got pushed over. It didn't cause any damage to it but the noise surely had been loud enough to make Maeve wonder from the kitchen...
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Post by Hollywood Heidi on Feb 29, 2020 23:54:11 GMT -8
It being only herself for so long and with the ability to pop out whenever and to wherever she pleased when hunger struck, her food selection hadn't been very impressive for company. But Maeve had made do. With eggs and various leftover items, she had the makings for suitable omelets.
Everything ready for the pan, Maeve glanced over at the empty stovetop and rolled her eyes at herself, though she still wore a grin. No pan set to warming. Her head was up in the clouds. She retrieved a pan from the cupboard, added a little oil, and started up the flames below it.
As she was taking the last croissant from the bag, Maeve heard the soft thud of something falling in the other room. She grabbed a napkin and settled the croissant on it as she wandered over to see where Erik had disappeared to and discover what had tipped over.
"Erik?" she called, turning the corner into the living room. She found him in the one place she'd avoided for a long, long time. Her eyes fell on the piano and for the first time since Erik had arrived, her smile faltered ever so slightly.
It had been too painful, even looking in the direction of the piano. Not only because of the clutter of framed photos, but because of all the happy moments that had been spent at that piano. She couldn't blame him for ending up there. Photos drew people in. Maeve pushed herself to move forward. She concentrated on Erik. With him already there, waiting, it was easier than previous failed attempts to approach this corner of the living room.
Maeve forced her gaze toward the photos. "Memory lane," she said, working to make her tone sound casual. Her eyes caught the frame with dust disrupted by his handling and she picked it up, some genuine going back into her smile with the realization that the first photo he'd gone to had been one of her. "I was just 17," she said, studying the person who seemed a stranger to her now. "Happy and carefree." It was amazing how life could change the way a person looked. At 17, her features had been soft and sweet. So innocent with all the joy and love filling her life. Her eyes focused on her reflection now in the glass. Pain and sorrow over so much loss, of people coming into her life with bad intentions, it had hardened her and her features along with it. Stern and serious had been her natural setting for so long that it had transformed her look.
Maeve placed the picture back on the piano and carefully reached out to the one that had fallen over. She settled it back into place, the image of her parents smiling at each other with so much love stabbed at her heart, causing her hand to fist as she pulled it away. Maeve looked away, unable to handle more at the moment. Not here, not now, and too soon in the present company. Today was about forgetting the past, letting go and living in the moment. She registered the sound of sizzling and grabbed hold of it to anchor herself back to the present.
Maeve turned toward Erik, effectively turning her back to the piano and photos and just like that, Maeve switched off the past. "I need to get back to that. Here, try this," she said hurriedly as she handed the croissant to him. She took quick strides back toward the kitchen. "The ones they sell here can't even compare to the genuine thing," she added with pride for her French heritage.
Maeve found herself back in front of the prepared items. With one more deep breath, she purged herself of the past then carried the cutting board of chopped items to the pan and got to work.
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Post by DarkSideCookie on Mar 1, 2020 10:13:40 GMT -8
When Maeve came in and watched him standing by the piano, still the photo frame in his hand, Erik felt kind of bad all of a sudden. Especially when her smile faltered for maybe the first time since last night, he feared he could have overstepped a line of privacy she was not yet able to allow anyone to step over. But then she accompanied him there, her slow steps and the expression on her face giving away how difficult this must be for her though. Judging by the coating of dust on top of each frame and the piano itself, she probably hadn't been using it in a long while. The past could be hurtful, that was a fact he was all too well aware of himself.
"Memory lane," He wanted to apologize somehow yet also didn't want to interrupt her. "I was just 17,", she started to give him the background story of teenage Maeve on this photo he had allowed himself to take a look at. "Happy and carefree."
When Erik had been ever happy and carefree? Surely not when he was 17. But this was not about him. Also, it might be even worse getting ripped out of 17 years of happiness and carefreeness rather than never really have experienced any of that. You probably can only truly miss what you once had.
When Erik saw her struggling with her own memories, he felt the sudden urge to cover her into his arms and just be there for her, but he also felt that it might be too early for this.
Then all of a sudden the sound of sizzling seemed to bring Maeve back to the here and now. "I need to get back to that. Here, try this,", she said hurriedly as she handed him a croissant.
"Appetizer?", Erik asked with a smile.
"The ones they sell here can't even compare to the genuine thing,"
And suddenly there was an upcoming wish of eventually trying the genuine thing with her. Thinking about traveling together might be even more a thing way too early yet though. Still, Erik never had been so sure with anyone before.
After Maeve had disappeared back into the kitchen, Erik thought it would be better to just join her there, so that these feelings of the past would fade into the background again, at least for now.
"You need some help?", Erik asked while leaning in the door frame again. "Or some entertainment?", he added with a sexy grin, being aware of the fact that he was still without a shirt.
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Post by Hollywood Heidi on Mar 14, 2020 13:17:16 GMT -8
Maeve was pouring the beat eggs onto the mix-in items when she saw Erik reappear in the kitchen entry from the corner of her eye. Her spirits had already lifted once leaving the piano and photos but seeing him close to her again helped any lingering pain fade away.
"You need some help?", "Or some entertainment?",
Maeve chuckled and glanced over with a knowing grin. She knew exactly what he meant without having to see that sexy grin. Again, she took her time looking him over, loving every opportunity to make it well known that she was quite proud of herself for taking his shirt. Taunting and building the anticipation for when it came time for him to take his shirt back.
"You could just 'stand there and look pretty'," she said, facetiously using a term she'd heard men say to women on several occasions, herself included, "but," she lowered her voice as if divulging a secret, "there is nothing sexier than a man helping in the kitchen."
Maeve saw him go into motion, knowing that it was simply his nature to not stand around doing nothing rather than the bait most men would go for in furthering their chances with a woman. "Plates, utensils," she said, pointing the spatula first at a cupboard, then to a drawer. Maeve continued to swirl the pan and maneuver its contents as she watched him move around her kitchen, very much liking the image of him in her home sharing such a simple, domesticated task with her.
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Post by DarkSideCookie on Mar 14, 2020 14:42:31 GMT -8
"You could just 'stand there and look pretty',"
Probably different from a lot of other men, Erik didn't see his maskulinity threatened by a comment that was rather a term using on women. He even went on a little bit more on joke lane by giving her a flirty look that was also rather feminine, only to end up chuckling lightly a moment later. This place, and with that was not only meant the place in general but also this whole series of moments he was spending with her since yesterday night, really was to forget anything else, even if it would be for a temporary while only. And yet, he would have no complaints about it being forever.
"but,""there is nothing sexier than a man helping in the kitchen."
And back to flirting mode he went, this time more as his natural self. As Erik went into motion to join her at the stove, he shortly wrapped his arms around her waist before she was imposing him with assistant workings such as setting the table.
"Plates, utensils,"
And once again, Erik didn't mind to go into motion to help her out. Shirtless as he still was, he reached out to the cupboard she had been pointing at, pulling out two plates and placing them onto the table. Although this was the first time they were sharing a morning, it felt like something that just worked out perfectly. And before he went on with the setting of the table, Erik put his arms around her once again.
"You saved me, you know that?", he suddenly said whispering. And with that he didn't mean that she had saved him from ending up rotten in a cell.
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Post by Hollywood Heidi on Mar 14, 2020 18:15:03 GMT -8
Maeve had been sorry to shoo him off to set the table, but it wasn't much later before he was right back behind her, arms around her waist, surrounding her with his warmth. With the constant draw to be as close to him as possible, she automatically leaned back into him as she finished up the omelets.
"You saved me, you know that?"
And now Maeve felt a warmth filling her from the inside. He was consistently pushing the boundaries of her joy. His quiet confession had gone straight to her heart. A warm smile spread across Maeve's face as she gave the pan a simple twitch that caused the omelet to fold in half. "I may have been an invisible simulation, but I was there," she teased lightly, pretending as if he'd meant breaking him free of Trask. She turned off the stove and set the pan back before turning in his arms and wrapping hers around his neck. Maeve leaned up and kissed him, slowly, tenderly, before pulling back to confess, "You saved me, too." She leaned up and gave him one more quick kiss, leaving her arms around his neck but letting her heels return to the floor. "Our food is getting cold."
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Post by DarkSideCookie on Mar 14, 2020 22:05:24 GMT -8
To be honest, there had come a point in time during his stay in this cell back at the Trask building, that Erik had actually lost all hope to ever see daylight again; little did he know that he would not only see daylight again but also would find himself back in another romance - one that he had never dared to think of, at that. One that he couldn't compare to anything he had ever felt and also one that made him realize he had indeed never felt true happiness before.
"I may have been an invisible simulation, but I was there,"
She knew exactly that this hadn't been what he meant, but Erik let her believe that he wasn't aware of that.
"You saved me, too."
A smile spread over his face once again. These last hours he might have smiled more than he had ever before in his whole life, and that probably being not a bit an overstatement, as he wasn't exactly Mr. Smiles.
"Our food is getting cold.", Maeve eventually reminded both of them of their hollow feeling in their stomach.
And almost as if on cue, Erik's was making a loud growling sound. With a chuckle, he released her from his arms and instead helped her to take a seat on the table he had only half prepared yet. "I take it that I won't be hired for the job in the kitchen?", Erik joked before pulling out the drawer that contained the utensils to place them next to their plates.
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Post by Hollywood Heidi on Mar 15, 2020 1:32:53 GMT -8
As Erik retrieved utensils, Maeve took the pan to the table, halving the omelet with the spatula on her way. She slid half onto one plate and half onto the other, then placed the pan in the sink to be dealt with later.
Maeve took a seat in the chair he'd so gallantly pulled out for her when he'd inquired about his chances of getting the kitchen job. "Mm," she said as if in serious consideration. "Your still under review but don't you worry. If the kitchen job doesn't go in your favor, there's another room of the house you have proved to be very qualified for." Maeve gave him a suggestive wink and took her first bite, smiling appreciatively at him as she chewed.
Taking note of the croissant between their plates that had been forgotten in their temporarily lapse from the fantasy bubble of nothing existing outside of this day and this house, Maeve placed her fork down and picked up the crescent shaped bread. It wasn't as oven-fresh warm as when she'd first removed it from its reheating, but it was warm enough to give the illusion of nearly fresh. She tore it in half and placed a piece on each of their plates. "It's the best when just taken from their ovens, but still amazing a day or three later. Far better than any croissant you can find in the states," she promised. Maeve pulled a piece from her own and chewed it, waiting to see what he thought. It came from a place very important to her and therefore, his opinion of what seemed to be a little, inconsequential thing held importance.
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Post by DarkSideCookie on Mar 15, 2020 2:05:18 GMT -8
Erik gave her a flirty wink at her remark about him being very qualified for a job in another room before he took a first bite of the omelet as well. It was still warm enough to get called a good omelet, and even if it wouldn't, any kind of breakfast with her would have been the best breakfast, never mind what was laying on their plates. He smiled back at her when she placed a piece of the crescent-shaped bread on his plate.
"It's the best when just taken from their ovens, but still amazing a day or three later. Far better than any croissant you can find in the states," Erik kept her on tenterhooks as he tried it, chewing as slowly as he could and having his eyes aimed anywhere but on her. "Hmm...", he repeated on and on, as the amusement showed off as a grin on his face. "It's good.", he eventually said, and when seeing himself confronted with a rather doubting expression, Erik chewed his bite down and quickly added "Hey, it's really delicious. Actually," he placed his fork into the piece Maeve had placed in front of herself, something he wouldn't have done if there wasn't more left of course, and let it disappear in his mouth as well. "... so delicious that now we're quits. You've taken my cloth, I've taken your food. Fair, isn't it?", he said with a mischievous grin.
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Post by Hollywood Heidi on Mar 15, 2020 11:56:35 GMT -8
He seemed to pick up on the seriousness she'd put behind such a silly little thing. Maeve nearly huffed and pouted when, at first, he teased her by overexaggerating his reaction. Noting her reaction, he gave it more serious consideration.
"Hey, it's really delicious. Actually,"
Maeve relaxed, almost laughing at herself for having put so much stock into a stupid little piece of bread. No, not stupid. That little crescent held such a strong connection to the origin of her parents' meeting. It was a simple thing that her parents had shared and now she'd shared that with Erik. But that wasn't anything she expected someone to piece together, especially when she was so closed up about personal things.
His fork descended upon her half and Maeve watched it disappear into his mouth, taking her by surprise.
"... so delicious that now we're quits. You've taken my cloth, I've taken your food. Fair, isn't it?"
She was pleasantly surprised to find that he had a playful side. He wasn't as serious as he always made himself out to be during their many conversations. But here, outside of Trask, where they could be themselves, they were able to relax and open up. Be their true selves.
Maeve gasped in mock indignation but was secretly overjoyed that he had really liked it. "Oh. Oh, I see. You think we're even now," she said in a playful, taunting tone. "I can simply pop on out and get more of those whenever I want while you will remain without a shirt." Just to further add easy tallies to her side of the scoreboard, Maeve stabbed a bite of omelet off his plate and popped it into her mouth, chewing while giving him her best smug look. "Hmm," she said, looking thoughtful before rubbing it in further. "I think, perhaps, I'll wear my new shirt the next time I make a pick-up. A bit baggy, perhaps," she said, looking down and assessing as if she was making a serious consideration, "but maybe I'll start a new trend. Paris is one of the fashion capitals of the world, after all."
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